Building to be burned in training exercises

A structure will be burned Saturday as part of daylong training exercises being conducted in Simi Valley by the Ventura County Fire Department.

&quot;It's a rare opportunity when firefighters get to train under actual fire conditions,&quot; Division Chief Mike LaPlant said in a written statement. &quot;A training burn like this allows our firefighters to study fire behavior and experience the heat and smoke conditions that occur in structure fires.&quot;

The 3,000-square-foot structure at 3802 Avenida Simi is owned by the city of Simi Valley and was last used as a day care center. Since then, the Simi Valley Police Department and the Ventura County Sheriff's Department have also used the structure for training.

The training will be conducted from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. During that period, a number of fires will be started in the building to allow the fire-attack crews multiple training opportunities. Additional crews will be on the roof practicing ventilation techniques to allow smoke and gases to escape from the structure.

Nearby residences and businesses may experience some unusual smoke or noise conditions.

The public is invited to watch but will be asked to remain back from the training itself for safety reasons.